Beer

Last week, a new BBC documentary film titled Robert Campbell, Mountain Man made its North American debut in the Public Media Commons outside Channel 9 on Olive Street. Channel 9 is going to air it on television next week, and I am urging my Distilled History friends to see it. As many readers know, I’ve…

Several years ago, I took part in a bike tour of north St. Louis and learned about a tragic event known as the “Hyde Park Riot”. As the story was told, on a hot summer day in 1863, a bunch of Union soldiers got really drunk and turned a day in the park into a…

Sometimes even the littlest of things can make a tremendous impact. I should know, because I watched it happen two years ago. And it all started with a little piece of paper with the name “Minnie” written on it. To be more specific, this little piece of paper is glued to the inside of a kitchen cabinet at the Campbell…

In the past few years, I have been fortunate for many opportunities that I have been given to share my take on St. Louis history. In presentations, tours, and talks to various groups and organizations, I’ve found that I really enjoy getting out and talking up the great history of this city. I also always try to…

Note: This is part two of a post that was originally published on June 12, 2015. Go read that one first, or you’ll end up as confused as I was when I wrote it. Here’s the link to The Map that Drove Me to Drink, Part I. Here’s an astounding fact. In the year 1875, no fewer than…

This blog has been opening some fun doors lately. Just in the last few months, I’ve been asked to speak at a museum, lead a bicycle history tour, emcee a fundraising event, and even write a book. It’s all great stuff, but it’s presented me with a huge problem. All of this extra stuff has made it extremely difficult…

Oh, baseball. It’s finally time for baseball. And boy do I need it. After several dense and exhausting posts, (including one that detailed how death once visited St. Louis), it’s time to lighten things up. And what better time to do it than right now, because baseball is finally here again. I’ve taken a swing at St. Louis baseball previously in Distilled History, and my…

This is going to sound a bit strange, but I sure do love roads. That’s right, roads. And by “roads”, I mean the streets, avenues, and parkways all of us frequently drive, bike, or walk on to get around this city. I believe roads play an integral part in delivering good history. A few years…